Mail-bag-catching crane.



H. MOSHIER.

MAIL BAG CATOHING GRANE. APPLICATION 1mm APR. 21, 1908.

906,546. Patented Dec Q 15, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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H. MOSHIER.

MAIL BAG GATOHING CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 21, 1908.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR rm-r NORRIS PETERS co., wasmrwrou, a c.

UNITED STA HENRY MOSHIER, OF LITTLE FALLS, NE\\" YURK.

MAIL-B AG-CATCHING CRANE T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Mosinnn, citizen of the United States,residing at Little Falls, in the county of Herkimer and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMail-Bag-Catching Cranes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mail bag catching cranes, and particularly to acrane adapted for stationary mounting beside railway tracks to receivethe mail bag from a passing train, and the object thereof is to providean automatically operating crane embodying a novel and simplearrangement of parts which will be unfailing in their practicaloperation.

Further objects and advantages of my in vention will appear in thecourse of the following description, in which reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this s )eci'lication, in. whichlike numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the severalfigures thereof, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my entire apparatus. Fig. 2 is afragmentary sectional. detail, on an enlarged scale, illustrating theconnection of the saddle bar with the latch bar, and taken on the lineoa of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a 'lragmentary vertical sectional view takenthrough the upper extremity of the supporting post. Fig. 4 is afragmentary elevation, partly in section, illustrating the hinge jointof the su porting post. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectiona plan view takenon the line @/;1 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the crane armand indicated by the line of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail longitudinalsectional view taken through the outer one of the fork arms, andillustrating the lock for the clam ing arm.

In the practical embodiment of my invention, I provide a hollowedtubular supporting post 1, having a reduced portion 2, shown in Fig. 5,about which a strap 3, extending from the inner end of the crane arm 4,is arranged in order to swingingly mount the said arm 1 upon the saidpost 1. The arm 4 is further supported by an inclined brace 5, securedthereto at one end and provided at its other end, with a sleeve portion6, engaging about the bearing portion 7 of a screw plug 8 threaded intoa closed upper end of the post 1. Adjacent its outer end, the crane arm1 is provided with spaced curved arms 9 and 10, forming the bagreceiving fork, as ordi- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 21, 1908.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Serial No. 128,396.

narily used, and rigidly connected thereto. Mounted between said forkarms 9 and 10, is a semicircularly curved plate 11, consti tuting thesaddle, for the reception of the mail bag thereagainst, and providedwith a rearwardly projecting bar 12, slidably mounted through a bearing13 upon said crane arm 1, at right angles to said arm. The rear end ofthe saddle bar 12, projecting slidably through the bar 13, is providedwith an inclined lower face 14, and with a rearwardly projecting arm 15,extending through an aperture in a bracket 16, secured upon the cranearm 4-, said arm 15 being provided with an encircling helical springextending between the end of the saddle bar 12, and the said bracket 16,whereby the rearward movement of the saddle 11, is cushioned.

livotally mounted at its end upon the fork arm 19, to swing rearwardlyby means of a coil spring 17, extending between the same and saidbracket arm, is a clamping arm 18, normally locked upon said fork arm,by means of a pivot trigger 19, projecting above said arm, and adaptedwhen released, to swing against the saddle 11, to clamp the mail bagtherein. In order that the said clamping arm 18 may be releasedsimultaneously with the rearward movement of the saddle 11., caused bythe shock of the mail bag, I provide a longitudinal slidablc operatingarm 20, mounted through bearings 21 and 22, of the crane arm 1, andbracket 16 respectively, and provided rearwardly of said bracket with avertically extending arm 23 extending in the path of movement of theextension arm 15 of the saddle bar 12, and adapted to be struck by saidextension arm 15 in its rearward movement, to move the operating bar 20,connected to said trigger 19, by a chain 2 1. Thus, upon thelongitudinal movement of the operating bar 20 and the actuation of thesaddle bar 12, the trigger 19 will be rotated upon its pivot to releasethe clamping arm 18, which will thereupon swing rearwardly by means ofits retractile spring 17, the position then being as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 5. In this position, the clamping bar 18 will lietransversely on and across the fork arms 9 and 10, the fork arm 9 beingprovided with a cut out portion 25, shown in Fig. 7, in which iseccentrically pivoted a swinging stop 26, maintaining its upper endabove the level of said arm 9 by gravity and adapted to receive ahollowed clamping bar 18 in the rear of the iame, upon the swingingmovement of said Below the horizontal level of the crane arm 4, andinclined upwardly and outwardly are latch brackets 27 and 28, rigidlysecured to the supporting post 1 at their lower ends, and extendingtherefrom at right angles to one another. Each of the brackets 27 and 28are provided with pivoted swinging latches 29, having leaf springs 30 toexert downward pressure upon the same. The crane arm 4 is mounted toswing between the latch brackets 27 and 28, as is plainly shown in Fig.8, and said arm is adapted to be engaged by the latch 29, of either ofthe said brackets against which the same is 'ushed.

Mounted longitudinally along t 1e rear face of the crane arm 4, andcentrally pivoted thereon, is a latch bar 31, having its outer endbeneath the rear end of the saddle bar 12, and having its inner end incircular alinement with the latches 29 of the brackets 27 and 28. Thus,if the crane arm 4, is locked against the bracket 27, as shown in Fig.5, and as contemplated in the practical use of the apparatus, therearward movement of the saddle bar 12, under the impetus of the mailbag, will engage the outer end of the latch bar 31 with its lowerinclined face 14, and will oscillate the said latch bar upon its pivotto raise the latch 29 of the bracket 27, and allow the entire arm 4 andits mechanism previously described, to swing rearwardly to a positionparallel with the railway tracks and against the bracket 28, to beengaged by its latch 29.

It will be readily understood that the swinging movement of the entirecrane arm 4, as well as the rearward movement of the saddle bar 12, iscaused by the impetus of the mail bag received thereagainst from a fastmoving train.

In order to cushion the shock of the movement of the crane arm 4 againstthe bracket 28, I provide said bracket with a headed plunger 32,projecting at right angles therefrom, and through a supplemental bracket33 within which is mounted a coil spring 34 surrounding said plunger 32and having one end attached thereto and its other end against the saidbracket 33.

In order that the foregoing apparatus may be readily set to an operativeposition to re ceive a mail bag, I provide the supporting post 1 with ahinge joint 35, at a suitable eight, in order that the upper portion ofthe said supporting post may be swung downwardly upon the ground.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. In a mail catching device ofthe character described, a supporting post, brackets extendingtherefrom, latches carried by said brackets, a crane arm mounted toswing between said brackets and to be engaged by either of said latches,guiding forks carried by said arm, and a rearwardly movable saddlemounted between said forks to receive the mail bag thereagainst, andhaving connection with the latch holding said arm, to release the same,substantially as described.

2. In a mail bag catching device of the character described, asupporting frame, a bracket extending therefrom, a latch carried by saidbracket, a crane arm mounted upon said supporting post, to swing awayfrom said bracket and adapted to be engaged by said latch, a rearwardlymovable bag receiving device carried by said arms, and having connectionwith said latch to release the same upon the movement thereof, and asecond bracket extending from said supporting post to receive said armthereagainst, and embodying a cushioning device, substantially asdescribed.

. 3. In a mail bag catching crane of the character described, thecombination of a slidable bar, having a curved plate upon one endthereof forming a saddle to receive the bag thereagainst, guiding armsmounted at the sides of said saddle, a swing clamping bar carried by oneof said arms, a trigger for normally holding said bar away from saidsaddle, means actuated by the movement of said saddle to release saidtrigger and allow said clamping bar to swing thereagainst, substantiallyas described.

4. In a mail bag catching device of the character described, asupporting post, brackets extending therefrom, latches carried by saidbrackets, a crane arm mounted to swing between said brackets and to beengaged by said latches, guiding forks carried by said arm, and arearwardly moving bag receiving device mounted between said forks toreceive the mail bag thereagainst and hav ing connection with the latchholding said arm, to release the same, substantially as described.

5. In a mail bag catching device of the character described, asupporting frame, a bracket extending therefrom, a latch carried by saidbracket, a crane arm mounted upon said supporting frame to swing awayfrom said bracket and adapted to be initially engaged by said latch, arearwardly movable saddle mounted upon said arm to receive the mail bagthereagainst, and having connection with said latch to release the same,and a second bracket extending from said supporting frame to receivesaid arm thereagainst, and embodying a latch for holding

